The Discovery
by nirvannah
Summary: A mutant girl is brought into the life at the institute, and as she lives the life she is brought into by the x-men, she eventually discovers a life altering secret
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR's NOTE:

Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you all a heads up that I decided to fix up and repost this story. Everything is pretty much like how it was before, but I just really wanted to add a few things that I felt would make the story feel a little more "whole". Not to mention, some of my misspellings and such were really bothering me..

-Nirvannah

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything X-men.

CHAPTER 1 - Expected tragedy

It was past midnight when I got the call telling me Lydia was dead due to an intentional overdose. All I remember feeling was disorientation and total numbness. It finally happened.

I couldn't even shed a tear. She had been gone for so long, it felt as though she already was dead and the fact that she killed herself, it wasn't surprising at all. She had been at Belle Brook Asylum for 2 years. Lydia was my foster mother. She had adopted me when I was 10, I was tossed around foster care since I was two..but Lydia finally adopted me, she was the only person I could identify as a sort-of parental figure. She had just lost her husband, a wealthy banker, she was lonely and desperately wanted a kid…about a year later that's how she came to adopt me.

Things were-sort-of good at first, but when I had just turned fifteen when she started losing it, she had been facing depression for the longest time, but only then did it get really bad. I had come home from school only to discover her passed out on the kitchen floor with an empty bottle of wine and an empty bottle of pills. I was able to call 911 in time they saved her..I thought it would be a one time thing, but a year later it became a constant game of trying to save her life..the hospital had eventually declared her clinically insane and given me the decision to admit her to Belle Brook. I did. It killed me to watch her continuously descend into weakness, it killed me that she didn't care about me..by trying to kill herself, she was willing to abandon me like everyone else had. So when she was taken away, I never once went to see her. Even with her gone, I lived comfortably in the Victorian townhouse, my expenses were covered by my trust fund set up by Lydia when she was still relatively sane.

I went to the same prep school I had been going to since I was 10. With Lydia gone, I was safer..safer from being discovered…if I had a bad headache, she wouldn't be sucked into a whirl wind of chaos, since she was gone. No one ever suspected a thing, I was good with secrets, and I guarded mine with my life. Although I did use it for personal gain, I made sure never to have it draw attention to me. My powers, my mutation..that was a secret I had been keeping from an anti-mutant world. What are my powers? Well, I had been gifted with three particular talents. Since I was 8 had been able to sense people's emotion in regard to their thoughts..it wasn't telepathy since I could never actually read someone's mind, but it gave me a good idea. Then I was also able to disillusion people, create alternate visual scenarios in their heads. And lastly, I was gifted with invisibility, although I could only do it temporarily and for brief periods of time, it was quite handy for sneaking around.

It was all useful tools, but terrifying at first, especially as an 8 year old, yet I managed to control it and most importantly, never tell a soul. Even that young I knew that the world wouldn't take to kindly to my abilities. Even Lydia.

The only slip I have ever had was when I was nine, a year after my discovery…I had a horrible headache at the social worker's office, I was with one social worker at the time…unitentionally, I affected her vision, she started seeing images, I couldn't even understand most of them…but what I did make out from a few of them were memories of my younger years..the different foster parents, social workers, teachers, acquaintances..and random faces I could never name. When the incident finally passed she was in hysterics, she was disoriented and confused..then pointed at me and called me a "demon child". I never saw her again, a new social worker was put in charge of feeling of loneliness plagued me nearly every single day..i tried to distract myself by creating visualizations of a life where I had a family, a life where I had parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins..basically, a life. A life I knew I would never have in the real world…I never knew what family was..

I often tried to remember what my life was before the foster care..Afterall, I had been 2. I had spent 2 whole years with someone who may have actually loved and cared for me. What happened to change that?

A year ago I went back to the foster care center to inquire about my documents, maybe find some relatives. They told me that I was found outside a burning house, there were no survivors but me. The foster care center attempted to contact any living relatives, but because no one knew who exactly lived in the house, and any documentation there was of who inhabited it was burned along with it..it was basically impossible to figure out who I was. The only thing I had with me was a silver bracelet with the name "Avery Erika" engraved onto it, so that was the name the foster care center gave me when they started rebuilding documents for me.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a week since I got the call about Lydia and my lawyer had been bugging me all week about a meeting to discuss her assets.

I really did not feel like talking to anyone, but I finally agreed, so here I was at the Harton and Phelps Law Firm. I was reading a fashion magazine as I waited for , mine and Lydia's (former) attourney. These magazines are so dumb, every single person in it has been photoshopped, humans strive for perfection, mutants can do incredible things yet humans consider mutants to be sub-human…its ridiculous.

Mr. Collingson finally approached me and directed me to his office, where he motioned me to take a seat. "Ms. Windmere, with the passing of your mother" he began, but I quickly cut him off "Adoptive mother" I corrected. "With the passing of your adoptive mother" he re-stated, "financial assets have been awarded to Mrs. Windmere's sister" "I regret to inform you that with her passing you have been stripped of monetary support and inheritance, since your mother did not update her will after adopting you." He said in the most matter of fact tone.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked "what am I supposed to do now? Where the hell am I supposed to go?" "you will be allowed to live in the Windmere house for 15 days, upon which time you are required to vacate the premises." He said.

"this is such bullshit" I muttered as I stormed out of there in utter disbelief. This was completely and utterly ridiculous.

I furiously drove home. As I pulled into my parking spot in front of the townhouse, there were two people sitting on the steps at the entrance. A lady who was too young to have white hair and a dark haired guy with red-tinted aviators. The lady stood to approach me as I got out of the car. "Avery Windmere?" she asked. "Collingson said I had 15 days before I got kicked out." I told her with a frustrated tone.

"I think you're mistaken, were don't evict people.." she said "more lawyers?" I asked with a sigh and groan. "No, Avery, my name is Ororo Monroe and that's Scott Summers, we're here because we know about your gifts.." "I have no idea what you're talking about." I said as I began to make my way up the steps, but the guy said "we can help you, and judging from what you said earlier, it looks like you might need it, being evicted and all.." "Yes, he's right, we can offer you a place to stay, a place you are accepted, a place where you are taught to control your powers." The lady said. "think about it Avery, give me a call when you've decided." She handed me a card that said "Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters" which had a number below. Then they both left.

After a day of contemplation, I realized I really had nowhere to go…I could do what I did that one time I escaped the adoption center when I was nine…go to a hotel and trick the staff into believing I was the owner, and getting myself a room..but it became to hard to keep up, I'd have to be on constant alert..so I finally went back to the adoption center…

That was too much stress, the idea of being accepted for who I was..that appealed to me, and that's what caused me to pick up the phone and dial the number on the card.

"Hello?" A woman answered.

"Is this Ororo? It's Avery" I said.

"No, my name is Jean, but let me go get her for you." The woman said

"Avery" Ororo greeted with some enthusiasm "Have you made a decision?"

"yes, I really don't have anywhere to go..when can I move in?" I replied

"As soon as you like" she said

"does today work?" I asked


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Please leave reviews if you can, I really appreciate the support. It motivates me to write more

-Nirvannah

**Chapter 3**

Ororo gave me the address on the phone… and after packing all my things, I locked up the house and stepped out of the front door for the last time.

The drive to the school was an hour from where I had lived, which was in Westchester County, New York. When I finally got to the large gated mansion of a school I was greeted by Scott and red-head.

"Hello Avery, glad you came." He said

"Hi, my name is Jean, we spoke earlier on the phone." The red head greeted me.

"Hey" I said, still fairly hesitant about my spur of the moment decision to move.

"that's quite a lot of luggage, let me help you with that" Scott said

"lets bring it to her room now, so she can meet her roommate..then the professor is quite excited to meet her." Jean said giving Scott a look I didn't understand. I tried to get a sense of what she was feeling, all I picked up was static..she was a telepath. Their minds can shield my senses…

We lugged my stuff through the beautiful old mansion to a big bedroom with large bay windows. There were two beds, two dressers and two desks. One half was already cluttered with things. As soon as we put all my stuff down, a girl walked into the room. "hey" she said "I'm kitty..Kitty Pride", with a bubbly smile. "hey" I replied.

"Kitty, this is Avery, she's your new roommate, I'm sure you guys will get along great" Jean said with enthusiasm. "Oh, for sure!" Kitty said with a smile. "Now that you've met, I'm going to take you to see the professor now, he basically runs and owns the whole school and he was particularly excited about your arrival." She said.

I followed her through the mansion into a large office, where an older man in a wheel chair sat at the desk.

"extraordinary" I heard him mutter

"professor, this is Avery Windmere" Jean introduced.

"I know" he responded with a smile. "If you don't mind Jean, I would like to speak with ..Ms. Windmere" he hesitated as he said my last name. "not a problem" Jean said as she left the room.

"please, take a seat" he motioned towards the chair across from him.

I sat. He had a warm smile the whole time. "Hello, dear, my name is professor Charles Xavier, and you have no idea how glad I am that you're here, Avery.." "you have quite the gift…mental manipulation...you can get people to see what you want them to…even get them to do things…that's quite incredible...I knew a woman who could similar things, but she could transform her skin into diamonds, her name was Emma Frost"

"how creative" I said sarcastically. The old man laughed. "yes, it is quite unimaginative, I have to agree...most of our names are.."

"names?" I asked

"yes, we mutants affectionately have nicknames, in regard to our powers, most people call myself, "professor X". He said with a chuckle

"So this place…its is a school for mutants?" I asked

"Indeed, the only one of its kind, it remains a secret to the world, but it is a haven for our kind...where young mutants are trained to control their powers and eventually have a career in human society…or they can stay on here to become teachers...and what we call X-men."

"X-men?" I asked

"mutants who strive for maintaining the peace...protecting out kind...from humans…and other mutants.." as he said that last part I couldn't help but notice how he glanced towards an old framed photograph on the wall, of two men side by side. I assumed he was one of them.

"Well I'm glad to have met you, Avery, if you go to your room you should find a schedule of your daily classes on your desk." "And I'm sure Kitty wouldn't mind giving you a tour of the institute." He said with a smile. I took this as my cue to leave the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

I finally got back to my room, after dodging through the chaos of the institute. I nearly collided with several kids who were playing tag.

As I sat on my bed this gave me a chance to appreciate the size of the room. For a boarding school, this place certainly was spacious and welcoming. It was almost possible to consider it a home, as I'm sure many kids here did.

The room was entirely old dark oak from the wall panels, the bed frames, the desks and wardrobes. The room had large bay windows that overlooked the gardens. This view was certainly a nice change from the non-existent one back at the town house. I noticed now that Kitty had several posters up by her bed, some old films others of bands. I had to say, she didn't have totally bad taste in music, as I saw a Kills poster.

Her bed sheets matched mine, dark red in color.

I finally got around to unpacking my things, when Kitty entered the room.

"Finally done my classes for the day..thank god." She exclaimed as she collapsed onto her bed.

"What classes do you have?" I asked as I hung up the last of my clothes into the spacious wardrobe.

"Well, I'm in the 11th grade so the first half of the day is typical stuff, Math, Science, English.." "then after lunch it's mutant history and Phys ed." She stated

"Ahh"

"How 'bout you? What grade are you in?" she asked me.

"Twelve" I answered

I went over to my desk where my schedule was and looked at it

XAVIER SCHOOL OF GIFTED YOUNGSTERS

ACADEMIC SCHEDULE

NAME: Avery Erika Windmere

GRADE: 12

8:00 English

9:00 Art

10:00 Biology

11:00 Mutant History

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Mutants in Society

2:00 Physical Eduation

"You have classes with Bobby and Rogue then, kids in the same grade have the same schedule" She went on to say.

"Bobby and Rogue?" I asked.

"They're pretty much the "it" couple around here..both are really sweet. Especially Bobby" She said with a slight blush.

"Rogue is cool though..there was some major drama with her last year though with Magneto and his crew, tried to use her for some plot to turn world leaders into mutants"

"Magneto?" I asked now extremely confused. "Oh right! She said, I forget some mutants don't know this stuff. Magneto's this mutant extremist dude, and the X men, some of the older students and alumni of the school are a team that pretty much diffuse mutant situations that would pretty much be catastrophic otherwise, most of which caused by Magneto and his team"

"Yeah, I think the professer mentioned something about the "Xmen"" I said.

This was extremely surreal. It had only begun to sink in how little I knew about the mutant world, despite being one.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

The next day my alarm went off at 6:30 am. Seeing as it was a Friday, I had to attend classes. I groaned as I got out of bed. "Kitty, I'm going to shower first" I said to her, who was still under her covers. She merely grunted. We were both exhausted after staying up late gossiping and her touring me around the institute, which I now realize is exceptionally easy to get lost in.

After showering, I returned to the room to see Kitty already dressed and furiously scribbling onto some papers by her desk. "Ughh…totally forgot about my English essay..no time to shower today" she said as I made my way to my closet to pick out clothes. I picked out grey skinny jeans and a simple long sleeved violet top. I put on my silver bracelet, the one with my name on it (I wear it every day). After brushing my dark brown hair, applying some mascara to emphasize my grey eyes, lip gloss and a little blush I slipped on my favorite Chanel flats and was good to go.

"Kitty, you ready to go get breakfast?" I asked. "I'm sorry Avery, I'm gonna have to skip it to finish this up, but you know where to go right?" she said looking apologetic.

"Yeah, no worries" I said as I grabbed my schedule and book bag.

I made my way to the kitchens where quite a few other students were.

After grabbing a bowl of cereal, I sat at the dinning table totally not used to this many people. After living alone for most of my teen years, this kind of reminded me of all the kids at the foster home from my childhood.

"Avery" Jean greeted me with a smile as she sat next to me.

"How was your first night?" She asked.

"I slept well enough" I told her honestly.

"I'm glad to hear that." She smiled "Well your first class starts soon, so you should probably get going" She stated.

"Yeah, your probably right" I said as I noticed the clock which let me know I was indeed, running late.

Thankfully Kitty showed my where my classes were going to be, last night on her little tour, so I found my classroom right before the class started.

" ?" the teacher asked me as I entered. "Yes, that's me" I answered.

"Great! Ororo told me about you, my name is Mr. Alleyne"

"You can go and take a seat before I begin" he said. I walked over to the only empty seat by the window, behind a light brown haired boy. As I sat down, Mr. Alleyne started his lesson. And to be completely honest, I wasn't paying a single ounce of attention. I stared out the window, completely amazed at how my life had changed in such a small amount of time, as much as I wasn't a fan of school, I had to admit this was certainly better than wallowing alone. School might actually be a good distraction from my life.

My thoughts were interrupted when the boy in front of me turned to face me.

"Man, this class is such a drag" he said, I just gave a polite smile. "My name is John, but you can call me pyro" he said with a wink this time. Wow. Cocky, much.

"Is that some sort of self proclaimed name to imply that you're hot?" I asked with a laugh.

"Actually it's a nickname due to my abilities" he said as he flicked his lighter and created a fireball in his hand. "And I wouldn't need to say I'm hot, it's a widely known fact" he added with a smirk.

"Mr. Allerdyce! Please make an effort to pay attention!" Mr. Alleyne said with annoyance.

John-Pyro-whatever his name was turned to face the board now and didn't talk to me again for the rest of class, which allowed me to take down some notes.

After English, I gathered my things and began walking with the rest of the grade 12 students to the next class, Art.

"Hey there" A girl with dark brown hair said as she walked next to me

"Hi" I said, making a mental note to try and be open to making friends, unlike my typical anti-social self.

"you're new, right?" The girl asked

"yeah, today is my first day"

"That's great " she said with a seemingly genuine smile. "my name is "Rogue", well it's Marie, but everyone calls me Rogue" she added. I remembered Kitty telling me about her..

"I'm Avery" I said.

When we got to Art I sat next to Rogue, who introduced her boyfriend Bobby aka. Iceman (another nickname..)

"This class is really slack, Piotr is a really chill teacher" he said as he motioned to the muscular, tall guy sitting by his desk reading a newspaper. A little while later he announced to everyone to work on sketching, before returning to his newspaper.

I sat with Bobby and Rogue at a table chatting about the school and the teachers, when the guy from earlier, John dragged his chair over and sat down with us.

"Avery, this is –" Rogue began

"John" I finished for her, "We met earlier" I said

"So..Avery.." he said smiling a little as he said my name "what's your power anyways? Other than good looks of course." He said with that same arrogance as earlier. I had to admit, he had some charm… majorly cocky, but some charm.

"hitting on the new girl, how unusual of you." Bobby sarcastically said to John

"I've got a few talents, fireboy.." I said, answering john's question. I didn't really want to tell everyone my powers right away, I'd been so secretive about it for so long It seemed odd to just tell people.

"Pyro" he corrected "Yeah, that's what I meant" I said with a smirk.


End file.
